One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes…and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
– Eleanor Roosevelt
A friend of mine who recently added an adorable bouncy puppy to their household said, “Some day I hope to be the man that my dog believes me to be.”
As much as that made me laugh, it got me thinking about how much pressure are we putting on ourselves to be someone that we’re not? How many things in your life are you currently planning on changing or improving? Whether it be exercising more, drinking less, eating better, communicating more clearly, managing your time masterfully…the list could go on and on, and perhaps you’re living under the weight of some or even all these ideals.
A perspective of time
If you go back a few years, were you vowing to commit to change the same things that you are today?
If you go out to the future, to two, five or ten years time – will you still be beating yourself up about the same things?
As soon as a long term spin is put on it, it can create a fresh slap of perspective. Thinking about your habits, actions or behaviour in the long term can help you re-evaluate – do you really want or need to make that change, or should you just accept and even enjoy that that is just you, (particularly if it’s not doing yourself or anyone else any harm!)?
It can come down to one key question: “What kind of (insert role here – i.e. leader / coach / team member / parent) do you want to be?”
What will the inflection points be for you to make the changes you want or need to make?
If you pop out into the future, are you;
- Saying the same things to yourself,
- Choosing to make any changes you needed to, to be that person that you want to be now,
- Accepting a habit or behaviour that you currently do with no ‘shoulds’ attached so that you can focus on other priorities?